Sovereign of the Ashes-Chapter 1310: Remembered

“How can the black mages be forgiven? Can they just turn a blind eye to the damage they have done to Magus World?” the Rank Five knight said, his voice sharp with agitation.

Sein, however, remained composed. Facing the gazes of the many powerhouses in the venue, he spoke slowly and clearly.

“Those who have committed great crimes are indeed hard to forgive. But some black mages have only strayed a little or were driven down that path by unfortunate circumstances. I believe they should be given a chance to choose differently and redeem themselves through service to atone for their past deeds.”

Under the eyes of countless powerhouses, Sein began to speak about his own past as a black magic initiate.

Growing up in the Darwell Region as a black magic initiate, Sein’s youth was anything but happy.

He had not chosen that path willingly either.

Had he not been lucky enough to meet several seniors who extended their guidance, he could not even imagine what kind of future would have awaited him.

Sein spoke about his first mentor, an obscure Rank One black mage.

To Sein, that man was far from “evil”.

On the contrary, Morsidor had been one of the few black mages who was generous and truly passionate about the pursuit of truth.

If there were any black mages worth saving and redeeming, those like Morsidor would be among the first to deserve it.

Sein also mentioned Medich and his current mentor, Lorianne, both of whom had greatly influenced his life.

By coincidence, both of these Rank Four Magus World powerhouses were present at the conference.

When Sein spoke of them with sincerity, a gentle smile appeared on the Tower Master of Luminaris’ face.

It was true that Master Medich held no resentment for certain black mages and even agreed with Sein’s suggestion that those eligible should be given a chance to reform. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Lorianne, meanwhile, silently watched her apprentice. As Sein gave his impassioned speech, she felt a warm, indescribable feeling welling up inside her.

When Sein finished speaking, the venue fell briefly silent.

After all, the knights and mages of Magus World were not wholly unreasonable. If Sein’s proposal made sense, there were those willing to accept it.

The first to break that silence was a Rank Five mage from the Alveroth Empire.

She wore a long golden robe and had a head full of purple hair.

“I heard you established a Divine Tower in the Darwell Region and have dedicated yourself to fighting black mages there ever since. You even suffered greatly at their hands in your youth. So why are you speaking up for them now?” she asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.

Sein paused for a moment before replying with a smile, “It’s precisely because I’ve encountered all kinds of black mages of all kinds during my operations in the Darwell Region, and because of certain experiences from my youth, that I have gradually come to realize some among them can still change for the better. If not for establishing a divine tower there, I might never have even considered this.”

His answer once again stirred murmurs among the venue.

It was only now that many realized Sein was actually running a divine tower in the Darwell Region, a land that had always been one of the more chaotic parts of Magus World.

If not for the guardians and Magus World powerhouses driving out all Rank Four and above black knights and black mages to Blackhaven in Western Archipelago, Darwell would have remained a major breeding ground for darkness and corruption.

Still, Sein’s motion could not be debated endlessly.

Lady Bev, moderating the conference, soon called for a vote.

Unsurprisingly, Sein’s proposal was rejected, earning only 6.73% support.

Reform like this could not be achieved in just one or two sessions of the Magus Alliance Conference.

Pushing a motion through required persistence, constant effort outside the venue, and ideally, support from a few major Magus World factions.

The upcoming Clash of Civilizations might also provide black mages with an opportunity.

After all, the Magus Civilization’s leadership could not afford to exclude a group known for its exceptional individual combat capabilities.

Whether black mages could distinguish themselves in the coming war would largely determine if Sein’s proposal ever had a chance of passing in the future.

At the end of Sein’s speech, Lady Bev suddenly asked, “What about the truly evil black mages? Do you feel even a hint of sympathy for them?”

Her question piqued the interest of many powerhouses present.

It was not so much Sein’s opinion they were curious about, but the fact that Lady Bev had asked him far too many questions.

Could it be that this seemingly unremarkable young Rank Four mage had somehow caught Lady Bev’s eye?

Sein looked up at Lady Bev, floating high above, and answered slowly but firmly, “I stand in eternal opposition to crime.”

***

With that, Sein’s speech ended.

There was no doubt, however, that he had been noticed and remembered by quite a few powerhouses at this year’s conference.

In particular, the Rank Four and above black mages and black knights present, who were allowed to attend but not vote, were now curious about him.

At the very least, his speech at the conference had left these Blackhaven powerhouses with a slightly favorable impression.

After all, Sein’s aggressive campaigns against black mages and black knights in Ashenreach had nothing to do with them.

Unless under special circumstances, Rank Four and above beings from Blackhaven were strictly forbidden from leaving and stepping into the Magus World continent.

Sein’s fights had mostly targeted small-time black mages below Rank Four, and the Blackhaven powerhouses cared little about the deaths of those bottom feeders.

If anything, the powerhouses of Blackhaven were even more indifferent toward them than those of lower ranking in the rest of the Magus World.

“So that’s the successor of the Faceless Mask? Looks promising,” the God of Elves commented, glancing sideways at Hela beside him.

The female Titan overlord nodded in response.